Resilient padding



July l, 1930. l s, H. MCKNIGHT 1,769,066

RESILIENT PADDING Filed Dec. 2l. 1927 v Q` A f 6 y@ E @EQ-4 eral movements.

Patented l Jul-y 1, 1930 UirEnsrAri-:S

lPATENT ortie;

SAMUEL H. McKNrcri'r. oFLJERsEY crriYjNEw JEnsEnAssIGNoETo TROY LAUNDRY f MACHINERY COMPANY, rNc., or NEw'YoRK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or DELAWARE r RESILIENT PADDING Application filed lDecember 21, 1927. Serial No'. 241,559.

This invention relates to resilientpaddings, especially tov paddings 4suitable for pressing or ironingA machines either of the cylindrical or platen type. i

The invention has'for its objectto'provide a resilient padding which is economical of manufacture, 'and is particularly well suited to pressing'machines having presser members 'subjected to relativev transverse or lat-- ln machines yof this latter type such, for example, as flat workv ironers employing springs are properly anchored either to albase plate Ior to the pad covering, the springs tend to become distorted and eventually break after prolonged use. In paddings heretofore devised and employing a pluralityof individual sprin'g members for supportingthe pad fabric, various expedients have been devised foranchoring the ends of the springs to the pad base as wellI as to the padcovering. However, it has been found that, particularly in flat work irone'rs,when unusual thicknesses of materialsuch as buttons or the like pass through the ironer that the pressure on indivdual springs is greatly increased and insome cases causes breakage thereof. Ac cordingly, it is a further object ofthe'present invention to provide a plural spring padding for pressing machines wherein the individual springs are so interconnected" that 'during compression or angular displacement the load or pressure is divided between one spring and a. plurality of adjacent springs.

A feature of the invention resides in a plural spring pad havingv means for coupling together a plurality Vof individual springs whereby the springs may be lindividually compressed and whereby .undue lateral'movement of the springs'is prevented.

Another feature of the invention pertains to a unitary springpadding having a plurality of individual springs securely fastened to a base plate .andA connected at their upper ends by means of lloosecoupling links.

i A.; further feature pertains to the manner of attaching the springs of a resilient pad to the pad base plate.

Astill further feature is concerned with a spring pad employing spaced resilient spring spring 'paddings,. unless theV members which also serve as a support for the pad fabric, together with means for providing support to the fabric at theV places where the springs are separated.V

Other features and advantages will beap-y parent after a consideration of the following descriptionand the appended claims. v

l/Vhile the invention is disclosed in the drawing as applied to a cylindrical or flatywork ironing machine, it is understood that Fig. 5 shows another type of spring which 'may be employed'in place of the cylindrical springs shownin Figs. l and 2.

Fig. 6 shows a detail of the spring coupling links priorto the closing of the ends thereof.

Referring` more particularly to. Fig. l, there is represented by the numeral l a por- 30 tion of the cylindrical roll of a fiatv work ironer to which the spring pad unit is adapted to be secured in any suitable manner such, for example, as by providing the metal base of the pad with overlappingedges which hook together, or by fasteningthe metal base i tothe rollbymeansof bolts, yrivetsor the like. The former method of fastening is preferable as it enables the pad to be removed easily when repair or replacement is o0 necessary. Thepad unit comprises afbase plate2 which is preferably of non-corrosible metal invsheet form and is of a lengthy Sullicient tocover the working surface ofthe ironing roll.A Mounted on the base plate at suitably spaced points there area plurality ofsprings 4 of brass orA the like and prefer: ably cylindrical in shape.V Springslbe provided with any desired 'number' of turns to give therequisite resiliency to the pad and to separate the pad covering from the base plate 2 the required distance. The

upper end of the springs l serve as a support for the covering 5 which may comprise layers of felt, canvas, etc., as is well known in the, art. For the purpose of securing the lower ends of springs t to the base plate 2 the said plate has portions 3 punched out therefrom, as shown clearly in Fig. 3,' the remaining. portions .provide ar plurality of tongues which are employed 'for the purpose of anchoring the lower ends of thespri'ngs. For this purpose the tongues t are first bent upwardly to the position shown cin the lefthand end of Fig. l. The springs 4 are then a'ssembledv'onthe base plate Vwith the lowermost-turns 7 embracing the tongues 6 which are thereupon Yturned back upon themselves to form eyelets serving to'securely hold the sprin to the base plate. While four of these struc -up portions or tongues are provided for the lbottom turn of each spring it will be understood that any other number may be provided. However, it has been found that four tongues struck-up at diametrically opposite points, as shown `in Fig. 3 securely anchor 'the springs to thebase plate and pre"- vent relative movement therebetween.

As shown in F ig. 1, the uppermost turn of each spring is kinked at diametrically opposite points to provide depressions 9 adapted to receive the links IO. Links 10 are preferably lmade from brass or other `nonscorrosible metal-and of sufficient diameter to prevent buckling under the maximum vworking pressure. As shown inY Fig. 6 links l0 are prepared from a straight metal strip, with tiieends bent back upon lthemselves to provide hook-like .portions 14. These hooked portions are then 'engaged with the kinks 9 inthe `upper lturns of `adjacent springs and further-closed to provide the eyelets 1l. By this arrangement the springs are permanent- 1y spaced and are prevented from interfering with one another either during. compres sionorywhen subjected to 4lateral forces.

VAs shown in Fig. 2, Vfour links lare kprovided for each spring. Y However, it will be understood vthat any other desirednumber 'may be employed. It is .obvious from the arrangement disclosed that when a single spring isv subjected kto a compressing lforce the 4entire load is not borne solely by said 'spring but is partially transferred through the linksv 1'() to adjacent springs. 'If desired,

the eyelets 11 may be sufficiently .small as to yprovide a'rigid connection between adjacent springs. -It may' be desirable, however, to have Ithe 'eyelets y11 loosely embrace the sprin s kso that each spring when subjected to a oad will be compressed a certain distance before the pressure is transferred. to

spacer members between the springs. This latter feature is particularly advantageous in roller type machines since generally the roller is required to move pasta iixed cooperationg head and consequently the springs 4. have a tendency to crowd upon each other in a direction opposite to that in which the roll is rotating. Not only is interference betweenadj acent springs probable in suchcases but also when thick garments are passing through the machine the force is in some cases ofsuf'cient magnitude to entirely remove the spring from the base plate. It is clear therefore that with a padding of the type disclosed, as the roll rotates and the springs tend to move from vertical position out of radial alignment there is an o'pposing force transmitted from the springs not subjected to pressure through the links 10, tending t'o hold the strained springs in their normal straight position. By this ai"- rangeinent therefore the -pad has in effect both a 'vertical resiliency as well as a lateral resiliency.

It will be obvious that after lthe press plate l has been punched, as above described, and

ythe tongues 6 are turned back upon the lower ends of the springs there is remainincra perforation in the base plate. This peroration acts as a communication between the interior of the roll Vl and 'the yspace between the base plate 2 and the covering 5 and may be used'to convey steam to the interiorof the padding or for the purpose of enabling a vacuum created therein, for which purpose a suitable suction creating means is connected to the interior of drum 1. v

Fig. 4 shows anV alternative method of preparingthe base plate 2 4for the purpose of providing perforations and vanchoring 'means for the springs. In this modification the plate is provided with perforations 12 preferably at t-he points Where the individualspringsare to be mounted. The remaining portion of the vplate rbetween each perforation is provided with-a struck-up tongue 13 which is adapted to be folded over toward the center of the perforation l2 to -form an eyelet. This manner of preparing the plate, however, requires separate perforating and punching operations.

If desired, instead of employing cylindrical helical springs, springs having an hour glass shape, as shown in Fig. 5, may be provided.

Springs of this latter typel are capable of spring than iis :capable with cylindrical springs. lThis vfeature it is obvious may in certain cases be found to be advantageous in roller type presses. Furthermore, employing this 'typerof spring the padding'may kbe coinpressed to a greater extent without causing interference kor, binding lof the individual spring' turns with one another.

y tongues, said plate being mounted on said roll The resilient paddings'described above provide ak stable, economical and easily assembled unit and one which does not require the pad fabric to be permanently attached to the upper ends of the springs. It is well known that with paddings of this latter type, namely those having the fabric secured to the springs, that after continued use the springs tend to tear the fabric material and in order to replace the fabric with a new one it is necessary to Y remove the entire padding in order to disconnect the individual springs from the fabric.

In accordance with the present `invention the upper ends of the springs being permanently spaced by the members 10, the fabric 5 may be simply wrapped around the exterior thereof and suitably fastened atthe ends. When replacement of the fabric is required it is not necessary to remove the pad proper from the roll l.

What I claim is:

1. In an ironing machine, the combination of a perforated ironing roll, a metal plate adapted to be wrapped around said roll and having overlapping edges for securing said plate in position on said roll., a plurality of tabs struck up from said plate to provide perforations registering with the roll perforations, a plurality of springs fastened to said plate by said tabs and in registry with said perforations, and strain distributing links rloosely interconnecting the upper end of said spring and the upper ends of adjacent springs.

2. In combination a perforated ironing roll, a plate having portions struck out therefrom to provide perforations and a plurality of with the plate perforations registering with the roll perforations, a plurality of springs mounted on said plate and adapted to be fastened thereto through the intermediary of said tongues, a pressing fabric supported by the upper ends of said springs, the upper ends of all adjacent springs being loosely interlinked.

3. A resilient pad for a laundry machine comprising a base plate of non-corrosive metal, said plate having a plurality of struck-up portions to provide tongues and perforations, a pluralityof springs each mounted on said plate at the struck-up portions thereof and adapted to be secured thereto through the intermediary of said tongues, the upper ends of I said springs being loosely linked together whereby said springs may be individually compressed and the angular displacement of the upper end of any individual spring will be transmitted to all the adjacent springs.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, this 14th day of December, 1927. y

SAMUEL H. MCKNIGHT. 

